Saturday, July 6, 2013

June 29, 1863---George Meade takes command of the Army of The Potomac



JUNE 29, 1863:          

On June 28th, General Joseph “Fighting Joe” Hooker suddenly resigns as Commander of the Union Army of The Potomac. 

President Lincoln offers command to General John Reynolds, who respectfully declines, but suggests General George Meade as a suitable choice. 



With Rebel troops in Pennsylvania, Lincoln hurriedly dispatches a messenger to Meade, who is named Commander of the Union Army of The Potomac. It is not an enviable position, and indeed, when woken in the early hours, Meade is convinced that he is about to be arrested by Hooker for insubordination. His actual luck is only a little better: He is faced with the 80,000-strong Army of Northern Virginia massing on Pennsylvania soil under the command of the now-legendary Robert E. Lee. Lee’s objective is the capital of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. If Lee takes Harrisburg he will be between Meade’s Army of The Potomac (now in Maryland) and Washington, D.C. This could possibly force an end to the war and a final Confederate victory. Meade does have the larger, better-equipped army (90,000) and they are now fighting on Northern soil, but he has little time to plan and prepare. 

In order to divert Lee from Harrisburg, he begins moving troops north at the double-quick. Lee takes the bait, and begins swinging his army (which has already reached York, Carlisle, and the banks of the Susquehanna River facing Harrisburg) southward to engage Meade’s forces.  

They will meet at Gettysburg.

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